The global billionaire landscape is marked by extreme wealth concentrated in just a few countries, with more than 3,000 billionaires around the world collectively worth $16.1 trillion. The United States leads with the highest number of billionaires, boasting 902 individuals worth a combined $6.8 trillion, a significant increase from the previous year. Among the top billionaires in the U.S. are tech moguls like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Ellison, with Musk reclaiming the title of the world’s richest person. The U.S. also dominates the centibillionaire ranks, with all but two of the world’s 15 centibillionaires hailing from the country.
China holds the second position with 450 billionaires, whose combined wealth amounts to $1.7 trillion, up from the previous year but still below the peak of 495 billionaires in 2023. Despite a recent economic downturn affecting its wealth, Chinese tech figures like Zhang Yiming, co-founder of ByteDance, have seen notable increases in their fortunes. India ranks third with 205 billionaires, although its combined wealth decreased slightly, driven by significant losses for its two richest individuals, Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani. Germany follows as the fourth country with 171 billionaires, marking an increase from the previous year, with supermarket mogul Dieter Schwarz topping the list.
Globally, the number of countries with billionaires has increased, with 78 nations and territories now home to at least one billionaire. Some countries, like Albania and Peru, have made their debut with billionaires in recent years, while others, such as Uruguay and Bangladesh, lost their billionaires. Meanwhile, the U.K., Brazil, Hong Kong, and Canada round out the top ten nations by billionaire count. The wealth distribution remains highly uneven, with a handful of countries, especially the U.S., China, and India, housing the vast majority of the world’s billionaires and their fortunes
